The personal flotation device (PFD) has been developed for use in a wide variety of activities. Typically, such devices include at least a buoyant body portion and an element for securing the device to the body of the wearer. The U.S. Coast Guard classifies Approved PFDs in five categories: Type I - "Offshore Life Jacket", for use in open or rough water where rescue may be slow; Type II - "Near-Shore Buoyant Vest", for use in areas where water is relatively calm and rescue should be fast; Type III - "Flotation Aid" for use in calm inland water where rescue should be fast; Type IV - "Throwable Device"; and Type V - "Hybrid Device", which must be worn at all times to be considered approved. In addition, PFDs have been specialized for use in a wide variety of water sports, including sailboarding, fishing, and skiing
In many situations, it is advisable or prudent for the wearer to carry equipment such as emergency gear and valuables. While some PFDs are equipped with integral pockets or compartments, most are not. Those that are so equipped are often the expensive, "Type V - Hybrid devices" which must be worn at all times to be considered an "approved device" by the U.S. Coast Guard, and are not adapted for use in many situations, such as where the water will be rough and rescue may be slow. Those PFDs and other items identified above that are equipped with integral pockets or compartments have limited capacity for storing or supporting equipment or valuables in a compact and easily accessible fashion due to the limited size and quantity of those integrated pockets or compartments. These items lack adequate provision for accomodating additional equipment in a compact manner.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide elements for attaching equipment to a PFD in a compact, easily accessible system. It is another object of the invention to provide an element for attaching a pouch or equipment which is not integral with the PFD and is adaptable for almost any vest or collar-type flotation device of Types I-III. A further object of the invention is to provide a PFD adapted to releasably attach equipment, a pouch for holding the equipment, a mounting, and/or a security harness. A still further object of the invention is to provide a system for attaching equipment to a personal flotation device and other items as stated above by adapting these items by substantially permanently ataching the system at a selected location on each item and securing equipment thereto.
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereafter.